FEAR: A SOCIAL MALADY (THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE)
“Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
1.0 INTRODUCTION
We are living in a society where the human person is discouraged day in day out, either because of what is happening around him/her or what he/she must have heard. What engineers these discouragements is nothing other than fear which is virtually a universal phenomenon. As that which discourages, it is a vice, is not just a vice but a social vice. It is important to note that, there is nothing in life that is as dangerous as a social vice. This is because, everyone is a target. Fear cuts across all works of life and strata of the society. As it stretches its ambient, it maladies towers. It starts by manipulating one person which is a tool to reach out to the society at large. This is because reality is interconnected. It begins by projecting or entering into one person (microcosm) from where it extends to others in the society (macrocosm). These influences permeate the life of the people through adaptation and environmental influence. And so, it spreads, affecting people as an individual, groups and gradually the society at large. When such a vice (s) through a person begins to permeate gradually till virtually every human person sees such an act as a comfort zone, it becomes (a) Social malady (ies).
As a result of these, this write-up attempts to x-ray some of the various ways the phenomenon fear has permeated the sphere of Nigerian social polity, causing a defeatist mentality that has held most Nigerian citizens spellbound to mediocrity in their quest to achieve their purpose in life and provide a way out.
2.0 Definition Of Term
- Fear
According to Philip Holder, a specialist in Therapeutic Hypnosis, “fear is an unpleasant, sometimes strong emotion caused by the anticipation of ‘loss’ it may be loss of face (disease or danger to the body) or it may be loss of face (damage to the ego, pride or image).”
- Societal Malady
According to Encarta Dictionary, malady is a situation or condition that is problematic and so requires a remedy. So, talking about fear as a social malady, it means that fear is a problem in the society that requires remedy.
Societal Fears in Nigeria
In Nigeria, there are four common ways fear has grinded the engine of both the individual and national development, they are:
3.1 Fear Of 419
According to the Online Urban Dictionary, the name “419” is derived from the section of the Nigerian law that Con Artistry and Fraud comes under”. It is the act of duping or scamming someone by working on the person psych either physically or via social media. It is very unfortunate when some persons, sees being stupid, scamming or ever cunning as being smart or wise. These same sets of people also call those who had compassion on them before falling victim of their surreptitious agenda, “Mugu”, and “brainless” people. As a result of these, people are afraid even to help people who are genuinely in trouble.
3.1 Fear of Telling the Truth
We are living in a society where injustice of man to man have shut many out from the bounty of God’s creation due to the mixing and mincing of truth with falsehood. This mixing is either for profit maximization or to escape corporal punishment. It is quit shocking sometimes when even those we expect to voice the truth refrains from it. One may ask, “What is the reason behind this?” It may be because, everyone wants to arrive", which is guided by the Machiavellian principle which I interprets as “any way is the way and no way is a model”. This principle is applicable in virtually every sectors of life today.
3.4 Fear of Kidnapping
The issue of kidnapping is becoming unbecoming. The number of people kidnapped daily now is about to equate the death rate in our society. Having said this, it is pertinent to point out that the way some rich people flamboyantly parade themselves especially in Nigeria is not satisfying when juxtaposed with the life of the Europeans / Americans who are wealthy. With such attitude, some rich people easily expose themselves to kidnapping. Most rich people find it difficult to help people or donate privately but derive joy in expending huge sums of money in public shows and festivities not knowing it is a process of giving an official invitation or signal to kidnappers.
However, people are often afraid of being kidnapped because of the ransom demanded and oftentimes death which occur as a result of the kidnap either because of change of environment which is not proper to some or some act which appears to be kidnapping that ends up to be abduction for ritual act or because of power tussle. Thus, this very act put the society in a state of not knowing when to trust people, most especially when it calls for emergency. People hardly answer calls, and pay little or no attention to what the call is all about especially when it demands leaving home at night. This fear of being kidnapped has led many not to know who is who in the society and to an extent have restricted people's movement, as some road is being tagged “kidnapping path”.
3.5. Fear of Death (Thanatophobia)
“Death terrorizes us not because it is painful but because we are unwilling to lose our human consciousness permanently” says Prof.Emeka George Ekwuru. Among everything the human person fears, death remain the worst of it all. Most persons find it difficult, even when the reality of death keeps drawing closer with- and through the daily happenings of life. When we listen to radio, television, read magazines, newspaper and write ups or social-medias, one is filled with fear of the numerous and countless death recorded everyday. Most people due to fear and in their bid to protect their life, has sown their soul to the devil, thereby killing their friends and well wishers in the name of changing or expanding their life span. This same fear has led many to join occultism or cultism and these have led to series of shedding of blood in the quest to protective life.
To combat fear of death, what is needed is carefulness in dealing with people and objects that may cause harm or death not fear of them for the fearful man dies many times before his actual death. As my contemporary Sirpeter Aloh whowill emphasize following Heidegger “the knowledge of the fact that man is a being unto death will make one live better and more fulfilled as a being unto life.”
4.0 Fear as a Social Malady: A Way Out
Fear, is a societal problem. The problem and disorder it had caused the human person can never be over emphasized. But there is a way out of this monster, a way to conquer it. Paramount among it is to develop the opposing virtue— courage. Another is by being careful. Living in a society where people give wrong address, phone contact and above all claim what they are not, calls for carefulness and not fearfulness.
Fear of telling the truth is never a way forward because it has led many to live in imprisonment, early graves, unstable homes, broken friendships etc. “Before speaking, consult your inner barometer, and resist the temptation to tell people only what they want to hear” says Wayne Dyer. And so, it is pertinent for all in the society to learn how to tell the truth as it is for a better, trust worthy and happy society. To combat fear of death, what is needed is carefulness in dealing with people and objects that may cause harm or death not fear of them, and to operate with the belief that death is due for all men. As Khalil Gibran would say, “Fear not the spectre of death whose greatness will not approved of your littleness.” No less true is what my contemporary Sirpeter Aloh who emphasize following Heidegger said “the knowledge of the fact that man is a being unto death will make one live better and more fulfilled as a being unto life.”
5.0 CONCLUSION
Our society needs not a prophet to tell us how chaotic fear is. Individually and collectively, we know that as a result of fear which leads heartbreak/heart attack many have gone. Fear of losing property or becoming poor has lead to community conflicts, killing and shedding of blood.
Thus, it is pertinent that we rise collectively and say No! To this social malady whose mission is to drive and deny us our joy and connectivity, individually and collectively and so as John Kennedy would say, when faced with societal problems, “let us never negotiate out of fear. but let us never fear to negotiate.”
Comments
I just read over the quick summary of Kalu's depiction of "fears" in Nigerian society. I am glad he contextualized it as a social problem. I would even expand his context to a global Fear Problem, and add many nuances to his depiction of social malady. I appreciate his effort here, it is going to take time, dialogue and critical reflection to improve his text (including some of the English) but that ought not to impede the advance he is making, especially in his own country of Nigeria, in offering analysis and solutions to "fears" that are challenging the overall human and organizational potential of a nation and society. I agree, it doesn't take a "prophet" to tell people how 'bad' the fear situation is in his country (or the world, for that matter)--it takes good observation, study and intelligent reflection to discern the problem(s) and solution(s). I congratulate Kalu for leading this work in his own country.